Episode date: February 2, 2018
Transcript published: February 8, 2018

St. Luke both begins and ends his Gospel with the people God praying in the Temple. This suggests a priority for the Gospel writer. So too, the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican is story about the proper way to pray.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

This year is the first time I can remember that the Triodion begins before the Presentation of the Lord to the Temple. The Presentation of the Lord to the Temple is the end of the Christmas season, and that’s not until this coming Friday, but today we’re already starting our progression to Pascha. I don’t remember that—it may have happened some other time,…

Episode date: April 25, 2010
Transcript published: January 21, 2018

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Those familiar with the history of the Church, my beloved in Christ, are aware that we Antiochian Christians have had our disagreements from time to time. In fact, it’s one of our strong points; sad to say, one of our weaknesses. For when we are weak, then we are strong. At least, that’s the way I would rationalize it. But the Antiochians, from the very beginning, have been notoriously…

Episode date: May 2, 2010
Transcript published: January 11, 2018

Ananias and Sapphira's blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today’s account of the fate of Ananias and Sapphira, my beloved in Christ, is arguably the most frightening story in the New Testament. Even as I stood and listened to it this morning, I wondered to myself: How can I preach on this text? It’s truly, absolutely frightening. I find it scarier than anything in the Old Testament, probably because it’s in the New Testament.

Episode date: March 31, 2009
Transcript published: January 11, 2018

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

What was arguably the best work of fiction written in English in the 19th century, my brothers and sisters, was also perhaps one of the best treatises of philosophy during that century. It was a lengthy account of a sea voyage. There was a ship called the Pequod. It was a whaling vessel with an international crew that significantly set sail on Christmas Day. The tone of that story,…

Episode date: February 2, 2017
Transcript published: January 11, 2018

When a sculptor works, he hammers and chisels to reveal the image that is already in the stone, but hidden. This is what God did in the life of Timothy, and what He does in our lives today, in order to reveal the image of God in us.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

St. Timothy. Were I to pick a title for today’s sermon, it would be: “St. Timothy: A Study in Education.” I’ll have three points to it, of course. First, let me say something about education, generally considered. It comes from the Latin ex duco: I lead out, I bring out, ex duco. One brings out something that’s inside. It’s not indoctrination,…

Episode date: March 2, 2017
Transcript published: October 27, 2017

Will we be judged by history? Is a thing wrong because those who are in power say it’s wrong? Fr. Pat looks at Jesus’ words about the Last Judgment from Matthew 25.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Well, beloved in the Lord, we’ve reached the gospel of the Last Judgment; Lent is not very far away. This gospel is read every year on this Sunday. This year I particularly have been paying attention to the hymnography of the Church as it reflects on this gospel. I think in most places where this gospel would be preached, probably it would be a sermon on charity, care of the poor.…

Episode date: August 1, 2017
Transcript published: August 12, 2017

Christ is the Living Center of the Church, and He does not abandon His Church. The big question is whether we will cling to Him, or get distracted by something else.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I would like to think I’m getting a little bit more disciplined as I approach the final exam, and this morning I decided to prove it to myself. I resisted a strong temptation when you were singing Alleluia right before the Gospel to turn to Fr. Maximus and say, “What are you preaching on this morning?” [Laughter]

Episode date: June 24, 2016
Transcript published: March 1, 2017

Because in creation man was modeled on the deliberating mind of God, he has a capacity for conscience. The Samaritan Woman escaped the condemnation of her conscience because she permitted her heart to receive the mercy of God in Christ.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We hear this reading every Paschal season, don’t we? This will be the 18th time I have preached on it since I have been here. Haven’t repeated myself yet, have I? Maybe, maybe. We don’t take every aspect of the story every time we hear it; we just take parts. This morning my scope is going to be fairly narrow. Let’s consider this morning Christ and the conscience.

Episode date: June 22, 2007
Transcript published: February 9, 2017

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

There are many flavors in a Christian life, many colors, different views in the life of the Gospel. My brothers and sisters in Christ, I won’t try to name all of them, but obviously what we might call the Petrine color is essential to the Church, because Peter represents the rock on which the Church has been founded. You might call Peter the institutional aspect of the Church. The…